Customer Reviews

Plantronics DSP-500 Digitally-Enhanced USB Gaming/Multimedia Stereo Headset and Software

5 star:		(63)
4 star:		(35)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

3.21.04: First off, I will say that I am an on-line gamer and prefer the best when it comes to my electronics. I purchased the Plantronics 500 headset in March of 2003 and I'm now looking for a replacement. About a month ago, the audio from the left ear of the unit started to go in and out. I decided to dismantle the unit tonight after the left side finally quit on me and I found two places where the very thin wiring has almost completely frayed apart in the actual housing of the unit and where it connects into the headset itself. The sound and microphone on these is VERY good but I am disappointed that just after a year of pampering that they have given out (sorry, only a one year warranty on non-commercial items from Plantronics - which these are).

I also had a few small complaints about the inability to switch back to my computer speakers easily, or that the cord can really get in the way at times due to its long length. This may be good for some applications but the cord will stretch for a good 5 feet, alot more than I needed. They are very comfortable though and even after all night gaming, they still felt decent, unless I had my glasses on and then they can really start to hurt after an hour or two. In conclusion, if they would have lasted me at least another year, I would have rated them 4 or maybe even 5 stars but after only one year of use, I have them falling to 3 stars.

10.25.04: Well, I am back to buy another DSP-500 headset. I went through two different sets since I last purchased these and they do not compare to the sound quality of the DSP-500. I would have to give these an excellent rating when it comes to the sound/microphone/ease of use/etc... they just need to work on how long they last but I have been told by friends that I use them ALOT so an average user will easily get more time out of them than I did. A year for me was pretty good from what my friends say... so I am revising my review to give them "5 stars". This is an excellent headset and easily outperforms others in the $50 range.

11.21.05: Well, it's been over a year now and my second set is doing GREAT! I think I've learned to be a little more careful with my headsets now (or maybe playing BF2 has me more relaxed - hehe). I even have a couple of friends using this headset and they love it too. I tried another "new" set that came out at BB a couple of months back and found them nowhere near the quality of these. I still recommend these, especially since they are still selling for less than 50 bucks. Amazing... the best product I have ever purchased off Amazon.

I bought the DSP-500 at a Fry's a few weeks back because it was the only nice headset they carried. And that it is--it's a NICE headset. It is engineered like the $130 it originally was--very comfortable, very solid feeling.

The DSP-500 is a stereo VoIP/game/dictation/whatever headset. It has two large 40mm speakers that sound quite good. The headset itself is extremely comfortable and uses a pretty standard two-part headband--there is a plastic connection that keeps the two halves together and contains the audio wire, and a rubber bit that supports a lot of the weight of the headset, and keeps your hair from getting in the various sliding joints. The rubber is a bit sticky--maybe that washes out, certainly never tried. The microphone unit is standard stuff, don't know its specs.

The major selling point of the DSP series is, to me, it's most questionable and pointless-- the Digital Signal Processor, that box you see on the cable. Basically, it's a USB sound card with built-in sound. Or to less generous consumers, it's an excuse to charge $50 or $70 more. The DSP, I suppose, is nice if you don't have a sound card, or have a bad sound card--not most people, certainly not somebody who would spend this kind of cash on a headset. The DSP is not particularly good, either--there is a LOT of "buzz" in the headset as soon as Windows turns the thing on, that's seperate from any volume. It is quite loud. The sound quality is not great. The microphone acts quite strangely indeed--it has "noise cancellation" which does seem to do SOMETHING, but not anything effective like a good cartoid microphone, and when you're not actively making noise, it records a gawdawful buzzing and clicking. Another reviewer has mentioned some sort of update from Plantronics, which perhaps might fix that problem. Either way, the cheap little DSP is not anywhere near as good as the emu10k1 in the Sound Blaster Live! I have (which is, incidentally, a very nice mid-end DSP). The other issue is, this is a _computer_ mike... only. The only connector is the USB connection. That's an awfully expensive headset for a single use. The one other issue with the USB sound is the way Windows handles it--it treats it as a different audio device, so you must select in the "control panel/Multimedia" dialog which device you want for playback, and for recording; you cannot play to both at once. Also, some software has minor technical issues with things not being "normal."

The Plantronics software _appears_ totally useless... it has a few equalizer presets that could possibly be of use... to somebody else. The microphone equalizer is sort of pointless, and the playback equalizer definitely so. Other than that, it has buttons "play movie, listen to MP3" that you can map to different programs. Yawn.

So, why am I writing this middling review and giving it 4 stars? Well, on the second bit, because it _is_ a damn good headset. However, I wish to compare it to my NEW headset, the Plantronics HS1. The HS1 is probably not available on Amazon--you can buy it from Plantronics' distributor (...). The HS1 is the DSP-500's older, cheaper twin: Plantronics sells it for (...)and I've not found it available anywhere else. The major difference is the lack of the DSP, but it's not an identical product: the headset itself is minorly different in a negative way: it's a little bit harder, is purple and blue instead of black and grey (basically, the DSP-500 looks way more "professional" or if you will, "l33t"), the microphone boom an microphone are formed a bit differently (don't know if there's any functional difference, it's the same rotation-extension system), and the little inline volume control is not a nice--it's analog, not digital, so it's bigger, it's got a big wheel and an actual switch to turn off the microphone. The main difference for me is the end of the thing--two normal 1/8" stereo jacks. So for the "price" of -$20, a _slightly_ less comfortable and sechsay headset, having to use a normal soundcard, and (probably) getting to deal with Plantronics' distributor (not that that's bad--it came a couple days after I ordered it, normal shipping time). I'd advise you to choose the HS1.

Other than that, however, the DSP-500 is your buy if you want this type of device. If Plantronics has something to fix the problematic signal processor, this could well be the almost-perfect USB headset: comfortable, light, good-looking, and did I mention, it sounds _great_ with those big 40mm babies. It'd be nice if Plantronics would update the HS1 to include the various nice parts of the DSP-500.

Today no matter what you do with your PC, audio quality is becoming very important to user. Most of applications today pay significant attention to audio to guide, prompt and entertain user..

Most of us who love finer sound quality when listing to music or movies keep on buying better and better headsets thru out our life, but no matter how much latest headset costs it usually has two major problems. It is never comfortable on ear and head for wearing it for hours, and it can not deliver better sound then source which supplies it.

If you use such expensive analog headset on your PC for experiencing sound of games, movies and music, you are out of luck since it can't deliver sound better then one supplied by sound card or sound chip inside your PC. Sound card and sound chip inside PC may suffer from low cost, low quality and also from magnetic interference, and heat inside PC.

To solve this riddle, Plantronics, a light weight headset maker since 1962 has introduced DSP series of headset. DSP stands for "Digital Signal Processing". Unlike analog headsets, this DSP headsets don't use and don't need sound card or chip inside your PC. Even if your PC has sound card, it won't be used. Headset has 3 meter long cord which also houses small box with sound chip, equivalent of sound card inside PC but away from all heat, dust and magnetic distortions inside PC. Sound exists in analog form only where it absolutely has to be between the user and the headset module; from there it travels digitally to and from PC.

Though DSP-500 is marketed by Plantronics for gaming, it is recommended for anyone watching movies on PC or listening to music on PC or using PC to make phone calls over internet. Thanks to its ultra-sensitive microphone and noise canceling technology these headsets are ideal for speech recognition software. IBM Via Voice Pro USB 10 ships with DSP-300 headset from Plantronics. If you are mobile professional carrying laptop, use DSP-400 which is smaller and foldable. Unlike regular analog headsets, Plantronics headsets don't make you feel its weight even after hours of using it thanks to its very high quality design. All digitally enhanced USB headsets from Plantronics have same digital technology which recreates maximum clarity and have noise canceling microphone.

In past this author had used DSP-300 which was much lighter and smaller compared to DSP-500. Even though size of headset differs, when you wear it, both are equally comfortable and light on ear and head thanks to very light weight materials used. Unlike DSP-300 and DSP-400, DSP-500 uses 40mm speakers with 20Hz-20KHz frequency response. DSP-300 and DSP-400 uses 28mm speakers with 60Hz-16 KHz frequency response and hence unless you need mobility, stick to DSP-500. Also microphone on DSP-500 is more robust compared to DSP-300 which has delicate stick and keeps slipping after few months' usage.

Speaker sound quality at any volume level is fabulous; it treats you theater like or concert experience which is never heard on ordinary or even expensive analog headsets. Speakers provide extremely high quality dynamic bass response with no crackling and perfect treble even at highest volume. It has perfect microphone ever made for voice recognition. It has 16-bit mono audio with 25dB noise rejection feature for background noise filter and frequency response of 100Hz-10Khz. Voice recording is perfect and ideal for conference calls or speech recognition. QuickAdjust microphone boom helps you keep it away from your face when eating and near your lips when speaking.

Installation is very easy. Just download latest drivers and PerSono application from Plantronics.com, don't use drivers on CD as they may be older and also PerSono software is not included in CD. Because headset plugs to USB port, you can use your existing sound ports on PC for connecting to speaker sets and switch from speaker to headset using Control Panel or Plantronics PerSono application. This application also lets you select equaliser mode of voice, jazz, rock, classical, games etc. Unlike analog headsets, on this headset when you change volume using +/- buttons on cord, you will notice slider on your desktop volume control also changes.

At street price of US$70 it is certainly one of the very expensive headsets but its rich experience and good comfortable design makes it look like bargain.

Although I give this product four stars, there are some things about it that potential buyers should be aware of.

1) Maximum volume may not be enough for everyone. This headset doesn't work off your computers' sound card - it has its own. I had to keep all of my PC's sound settings at 'maximum' at all times. Usually, the headphone volume would be at the maximum settintg, too. Sometimes, this was still not loud enough. This may not be an issue on another person's computer.

2) You may be frustrated getting the right software for your version of Windows. I bought this product "before XP", back when PCs were being shipped with WinME. Getting the XP drivers took a while. Getting Plantronics to communicate about the matter was impossible.

3) Plantronics support is not always helpful. They tend to reply with a standard line without even reading your request. Thus, a response from support may not have anything to do with your question/problem.

4) The ear cushions eventually came off. The adhesive seems to 'melt' over time. I found the cusions literally sliding off the headset. At first they move slowly, so you may not notice it. But once they give way, you'll be searching for the appropriate glue. I've reattached mine several times, but the cushions have become pretty beaten up from the neadless re-attachment activity. This is really annoying.

5) Because it is a digital device, with its own audio card, it uses a USB port. I found this to be very convenient, as I could simply unplug it from my USB hub in order to use my speakers. This avoids the need to reach around the PC to connect/disconnect at the audio card. Very handy if your CPU box is neatly tucked away and out of reach. It is a PnP device, so connecting should be quick & easy, although the PnP performance is not always consistent.

I've had my DSP-500 for three years now. Just this week, the left channel went out. I noticed some crackling when I touched the in-line volume control, but now it's completely dead. Of course, there is no warranty at this point. I'm faced with buying another DSP-500 (Amazon has the best price) or trading down to something less expensive, until something better comes along.

All of this being said, I've been relatively happy with the DSP-500, albeit for only three years. I would recommend it, especially for anyone a need for decent sound and an integrated mic. If you don't need a high-end product, Plantronics has some additional DSP models that cost less, are lighter and may satisfy your personal sound needs adequately.

Purchased this headset for Internet video conferencing and telephony (VOIP) purposes. The sound quality is exquisite -- both through microphone and headset. Crystal clear and no humming or any other intrusive or distracting sounds.

While I personally find all headsets to be more or less uncomfortable, this one I can deal with quite well.

You will not have any regrets.

Overall I'm very happy with this headset. It delivers great sound and is reasonably priced - a great value IMO.

Installation was super easy. The instructions give you step by step details on what to do, not that you really need them. I just pop'd in the install CD, installed their software, plugged in the headset to the USB port. Done. (FYI, I'm using Windows XP)

I have no issues going between speakers / headset. Again, it's very easy. A switch on the little control panel would have been nice to disable it, rather than using the software or unplugging it, but not a big deal, as I'm already conditioned to this.

I think the sound quality is excellent! I basically use mine for playing games and have played a few dozens games since I've got this headset and have been impressed with the nice bass response and very clear sound. It really puts you in the action!

The microphone boom works great too. My friends on Roger Wilco can actually hear me and I don't have to shout (makes the wife happy!). It seems to be a tad hard to 'twist' the boom down into position, but I'd rather have it a little stiff than loose and it always falling out of place (like my old headset).

I enjoy the speakers enclosing the ear which gives a nice solid fit. They feel natural and haven't encumbered anything I do with game playing for the most part (switching rapidly between mouse/keyboard/joystick on games like BattleField 1942 can be tricky without touching the headset wires). My only wish is that they would have made it cordless to match my keyboard, mouse, and flight stick.

Enjoy!

I purchased this headset in September of 2005 due to the excellent ratings (except for the one guy, who I believe just had a faulty headset).

I used this headset every day for 16+ hours. Continuously. It was used for gaming, Skype, music. The microphone quality was astounding. If I call from Skype, people say it sounds like you're talking on the phone. People don't hear a lot of background static noise. If there is a lot of white noise in the background, it is almost always cancelled out.

As for hearing on my end, the quality is great. It is clear and crisp, as if they were with me.

The comfort is always really nice. Having the headset on for so many hours every day could be quite painful if you don't have the right one. This one, however, fits snugly but not too tight (although I did let a friend borrow it and she complained that it presses against her very large earrings and is uncomfortable). If for some reason it gets a bit too tight when its tilted or something on my head, a quick movement will take care of it. The band on the top of the headset makes it so it doesnt pull your hair or anything when you move it around.

My only complaints are:
- the cover to the microphone fell off after about 3 months of use. I am not sure if it was just not glued on properly or what. It didn't affect sound quality, but it looked better aesthetically.
- after 10 months of use, my headset has developed a loose wire in the microphone. I can hear people on the other end, but it sometimes fades out on my end. Therefore I am going to order another one of these headsets to fix the issue.

Here are the pros:

1) The sound is very good especially for the price.
2) VERY comfortable. I play games for hours and hours on end (sometimes 10-15 straight hours). This headset is soooo comfortable. Other headsets I've used make my ears hurt after 2-3 hours.
3) With my previous headsets, my friends in teamspeak and ventrilo didn't hear me very clearly sometimes. This is not an issue with this headset.
3) very good price with amazon.com
4) Estimated arrival time was April 6th to April 10th on a March 28th order. It arrived on March 30th, on free super saver shipping.
5) very long, sturdy cord.


Cons:

1) not as sturdy as I thought it'd be, but looks like it can last a long time if I don't throw it!

The quality of this headset is beyond comparison. Nothing else comes close. For those not able to install XP drivers...well, have you considered quilting instead of computers?

For those of you using or planning to use voice dictation programs this is your microphone. As a user of Dragon for over 10 years I've researched and examined numerous microphones. None compare with the performance of the DSP500. The recognition/performance of Dragon drastically increases. When using Plantronics I typically have several errors per paragraph; usually do to mispronounciation or accent. With competitors, I can encounter several errors per sentence.

Dragon has a program where it adjusts the volume of mic and tests noise to speech ration. According to ScanSoft anything between 20-24 is good. The DSP 500 comes in at a 27.

Any users of voice dictation software or those planning to use microphones for voice commands in games must try the DSP 500!


(The DSP 400 was rather good as well. I used this microphone for quite a long time. The portability was rather nice. Unfortunately the headset was a bit big for my head. :-)